Mail-station device.



J. GIBSON. MAIL STATION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.19. 1914.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. GIBSON.

MAIL STATION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19. 1914.

1,165,242. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

11 Figs.

2y l 6 13; o 225 H 6 15 fig, .7.

. 1 5d 13 1 3w m r 1 I l 15 1 i a: a 2 r, 1 l *1 i H 1 j 4 I 7 i i f6 E] mum 1 50's momm impossible prrnn srarns JOE GIBSON, or

HOUSTON, TEXAS.

MAIL-STATION DEVICE.

Application filed December T0 at! whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jon Gnssox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Station Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a mail box, and more particularly to the class of rural mail station devices.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character wherein mail matter may be placed so that all outgoing mail can be collected in a-convenient manner, while each person in a determined territory can receive the incoming mail, thereby obviating the necessity of a rural carrier for the delivery of the mail from box to box throughout a given route.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a mail stationdevice wherein the mail matter for each person in a determined area is held in individual receptacles, the same being accessible only to the person possessing the key to the lock thereof, while all of said receptacles thus in this manner of mail matter deposited in the device will be obviated, it being to procure the mail for one person by another unless the individual receptacle therefor is tampered with, which would disclose a malicious act on the part of such person.

A further object of the invention is the provision of av station deviceof this character wherein the individual receptacle can be shifted therein to bring the same in position so that access may be hadthereto mail matter therein,

' by the user of such receptacle so that the mail placed therein by the collector can be taken therefrom, the device being of novel form and obviating the necessity of the rural free delivery equipment ordinarily used.

A still further object of thefinvention is the provision of a device of this character which is extremely simple in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, stron durable, and inexpensive in manufacture.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, com- Specification of Letters Patent.

are accessible to a mail Citll'lGI' for the distribution of the incoming Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

19,1914. Serial No. 878,116.

bination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 nal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55- of Fig. 1, showing the slide door open and locking the wheel-like drum stationary.

Similar responding parts throughout views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device comprises a casing 5, preferably made from galvanized sheet metal, although it may be made from any other suitable material, and has a rounded top 6, the front wall of the casing being formed with a circular opening 7 and a slot 8, through the latter of which is inserted outgoing mail matter, which is caught within a hopper or cage 9 located within the casing 5 and mounted on the inner face of the front wall in any suitable manner.

Arranged above and below the circular opening 7 in the front wall of the casing 5 on the inner face of the said front wall are guideways 10 in which is slidably mounted a gate or door 11 provided with a transparent central peep opening 12 and a finger knob 13 which projects through the opening 7 beyond the front wall of thecasing so that the gate or door 11 can be opened or closed at will. p

The casing 5 is open atits rear and has hinged to opposite sides thereof swinging door sections 14L which are adapted to close the opening in the rear or back of the said casing. Fixed within the lower end of the casing 5 is a rectangular shaped reinforcing frame 15 to which the walls of the easing are secured, and extending from this frame to the rounded top 6 of the casing at the rear thereof is a central brace strip 16 which carries a staple 17 fixed therein in any suitable manner and is adapted to pass through slots 18 formed in the door sections 14 so that a lock 19 can be engaged with reference characters indicate corthe several is a vertical longitudiently described.

1 Arranged within thecaslng ceiver mechanism interiorly of theycasing 5 so that the mail deposited can be acquired -by-a' determinednumber of persons within a given area orterritory in a manner pres- 5 in the upper portion thereof is a rotatable sprocketwheel-like operating'drum 20 which is 'fixed upon anaxle or shaft 21 journaled in a bear1ng'22-secured to the brace 16 and in *thefrontwall of the casing 5, the end journaljed'in the front wall of the casing being extended and carries a {that thedrum 20 can be turned without the casing. Trained over the drum 20 is an endless chainlike series of individual recross handle 23 so ceptacles 24:, each being formed at diametri- 'cally opposite points near opposite ends thereof with cars 25 through which vare passed pivots 26 connecting the receptacles -24='1n chain-like fashion so that they will travel over the drum 20 on the rotation thereof, the opening 7 in the wall of the casing 5 being arranged so that each receptacle 24 willregistertherewith on actuating '1 the-drum, and into these receptacles is adapted to-be placed mail matter by the mail "car'rieiyto be subsequently taken therefrom by the person using the receptacle. Thereceptacles 24; at their rear ends are formed lwith openings 27 through whichis placed mail matter by the mail carrier when the door sections 14 have been opened-at the rear ofithe casing. Now, on closing the door sections 14 at the rear of the casing 5 it will be impossible to gain access to any or all of the-receptacles 24 through the openings 27 in the rear thereof. 7 c The front ends of the receptacles 2& are open, and are adapted to be closed by means .of doors 28 which are hinged thereto in any suitable manner, each door being provided with alock 29, the locks on the doors. of the respective receptacles 24 being controlled by individual keys distinctive with respect to each otherso that the possessor of the key for opening one of the receptacles 24 cannot gain access to another receptacle, thereby insuring the users of the receptacles 24 from the Wrongful acquisition of mail matter .rom the receptacles by unscrupulous or malicious persons. Theiseries of mail receptacles 24 are provided with numerals ranging consecutively at the front and rear ends of the receptacles throughout the series thereof so that the user and mailcarrier can determine at a glance the intended receptacle for suchuser "cally about the axle series so that the mail matter can be properly dis tributed and acquired by the respective users of the series of receptacles within the casing 5 of the device. The numerals at the front ends ofthe receptacles 24 are clearly visible through the. peep opening in the door 11 when closing the opening 7 in the front wall of the casing.

The rotatable ribs or wings 30, with any one of which'is adapted to engage to lock the drum against rotation for holding any one -of the receptacles 24. in aline casing having an opening in its front, a

series of individual mail receptacles connected to each otlierand movable within the casing for successive registration with the opening in the front thereof, doors mounted at the front of thereceptacles and having individual locks, means for moving the r eceptacles without the cas1ng,a J 'the opemng 1n the front of the. casing and door closing avmg a peep opening, and indicia provided at the front andf'ear ends of the respective receptacles and consecutively arranged.

j 2. A mail station device comprising a casing. having an opening in its front, a

of individual mail receptacles connected to each other and movable within the casing for'successive registration with the opening in the front thereof, doors mounted at the front of the receptacles and having individual locks, means for moving the receptacles without :the casing, a door closing the opening in the front of the casing and having a peep opening, indicia provided sprocket-like operating drum 1S formed on lts front slde concentri- Or shaft 21 with IZlCllill a lug 31 on the gate or door 11 when moved to open positionso as 1. A mail station device comprising a at the front and rear ends of therespective receptacles and consecutively arranged, and means at the rear of the casing for permit ting access to all of the receptacles.

A mail station device comprising a casing having an opening in its front, a

series of individual mall receptacles con nected to each other and movable within the casing for successive registration with the opening in the front thereof, doors mounted at the front of the receptacles and having individual locks, means, for moving the receptacles without the casing,fa door closing the opening in the front of the casing and having a peep opening, indicia provided at the front and rear ends of the respective receptacles and consecutively arranged, means at the rear of the casing for permitting accessto all'of the receptacles, the said casing being provided in its front with a slot, and a receiving cage mounted within the casing Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each; by addressing the for communication therewith through the slot.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOE GIBSON. Witnesses:

G. S. POWERS, WILBERT DAVIS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). G. 

